We love WhatsApp, and it just got even better with the addition of ChatGPT. As a method of staying in touch with loved ones and sharing information in group messages, WhatsApp is second to none, and now the UK's favourite messaging app even lets you chat with OpenAI's chatbot directly from the app.
As part of ‘12 Days of OpenAI’, OpenAI launched messaging ChatGPT from WhatsApp, giving you a new way to interact with AI without needing to leave your messaging app. This new update means you can chat to ChatGPT just as easily as you would any other contact on your phone: You can ask it for help with the cooking, your kid's homework, or even Christmas shopping.
You don’t even need to have the ChatGPT app installed on your mobile phone, log in, or even have a subscription. It’s all very simple and easy to use, but there is one catch for UK users, and here's how to bypass it.
How to message ChatGPT using WhatsApp in the UK
Currently the service is only available in the US, however, that doesn’t stop you using it from the UK, or anywhere else in the world where you can use WhatsApp. Since all messaging with WhatsApp is free, even to other countries, this won’t cost you anything. Here’s how to set it up:
1. Add new contact
Your first step is to tap the green + button at the top right of the screen (these are iPhone screenshots, the app may be slightly different on other platforms). Next, tap New Contact.
2. Change to US
In the country list change the listing from United Kingdom to United States. Now enter 1 800 followed by the numbers corresponding to the letters CHATGPT, which are 2428478. Give your new AI contact the name “ChatGPT”, so you can find it easily later.
3. Start chatting
Now you can start chatting with “ChatGPT” just like you would with any other contact on WhatsApp. You’ll find it is a convenient way of talking to ChatGPT, and might lead to you using the AI chatbot in unexpected and new ways.
Calls from WhatsApp
Just as a final note, while you can message ChatGPT from WhatsApp in the UK, you can't call it. If you're in the US, with a US phone number then you can talk to ChatGPT for 15 minutes a month, however this feature does not currently work in the UK.
